Surprise Visit From XC08 Rider

This past week, Linda Tilley, one of the XC08 riders who I rode with often, emailed to say the she and Bill would be driving through on I80 on Friday.  She asked if it would work to stop for a visit.  Our house is only 4.5 miles of low density traffic off I80 - actually only two turns after getting off I80.  Kim was going to be out of town but I said that would be great.  We had all met at the Champlain, Ill, rest day of XC2008.

Linda and Bill arrived about 7pm on Friday and we hustled right down to the Prairie Canary for dinner.  They had been driving all day from the Detroit area, over 500 miles, so were ready to chow down.  Afterwards I showed them my daily biking trail route out to Rock Creek Lake.  We returned to home and spent the evening browsing through each other's XC08 journals.  Linda is a scrapbooker so hers is in scrapbook form.  I had had mine printed off by a blog printing business.  We stayed up until midnight reminiscing while Bill went to bed early.

Linda and Bill were up early the next morning ready to complete the 2nd half of their trip to South Dakota where they had Mt Rushmore and some biking planned.  Linda has been on numerous biking, kayaking, and sail-boating adventures since XC08 - several each year.  It was great to reminisce about XC08.

Scrap Book Poster of XC Tour

My wife is a scrapbooker.  She made a scrapbook style wall poster of my XC tour.  Here is a photo of it:

Blog Book of XC Tour

In November of 2011, I found a website to publish my XC blog into a very nice coffee table book.  I had been wanting to do this so that I would have a copy of my blog in case it should ever disappear off the blogger website.  It cost me $72 which included a pdf digital copy which I have archived on a flashdrive.  The flashdrive can be taken to a local printer if I should ever want more copies - or I can send a pdf digital copy to relatives and friends.  However the website is the best way to view the blog as one can double-click on the photos to enlarge them.  The website I used to print the blog was:

 http://blogger.sharedbook.com/pilot/enterBook.do?bookId=Blog2Print_Blogger

Here is a photo of the front cover of the book:

 

XC Bicycle Tour Tips

Following are suggestions for a fully supported (with motels) cross-country bicycle tour that I found worked for me. I started out with way too much stuff and shipped a large box home during our first rest day in Flagstaff. We were limited to two bags each with a combined total weight of 30 lbs.

1. Put your bike in top mechanical condition before starting so that you aren’t plagued with problems. I installed a new bottom bracket bearing, new cassette, cassette carrier bearing/freewheel, chain, brake and derailleur cables, and repacked all other bearings. I then had my local bike shop fine-tune my STI shifters and true my wheels. Consequently, I never had to make even one adjustment to the bike during the tour. Other riders had incidents of a broken shifting cable, failed bottom-bracket bearing, failed cassette bearing/freewheel, and broken spokes. A broken STI shifting cable in the shifter can mean a new STI shifting lever.

2. I used Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700 X 25C tires. They were heavy tires and hard to mount and dismount. However, I had only two flats from the shredded truck tire wire and still had some tread left on the original set at the end of the tour. One woman rider had only one flat but I don’t know what tires she was using. All other riders had more flats with one having seventeen flats during the entire XC. Next time, I may try to find a lighter tire that is very puncture resistant - if available. Tire liners might be an option to look into. One thing to keep in mind – the flats of the person you ride with are also your flats, as you will stop and help him fix them.

3. I recommend a full-frame tire pump. Air cartridges are nice, but you may run out as it is entirely possible to have several flats in a day. Air cartridges can also get expensive. You don’t want to be waiting in the desert for a sag wagon. My 30 year-old Silca frame pump with a Campy head was very popular.

4. I used two bike computers – one for total daily trip mileage and one for trip mileage between checkpoints/turns on the route sheet. I would reset the trip mileage on the trip computer at each checkpoint, which made it much nicer for identifying the next checkpoint. If using only one computer, the accumulated trip mileage will not agree with the route sheet later in the day – due to accumulated errors and extra miles from side trips, wrong turns, etc. It is also nice to have a spare computer in case one malfunctions.

5. I wore Shimano sandals without socks the entire trip. I had Gore-Tex socks along for cold rains but never used them. As in #15, I found that if my upper body, especially my head, was toasty warm, that I had no problems with my feet. By wearing sandals without socks, I didn’t have to ride in water-soaked shoes and socks during rain. My shoes and feet would dry quickly once the rain stopped.

6. I recommend an eyeglass or helmet mounted rear view mirror. I was able to check the traffic behind me by just a quick flick of my eyes without moving my head. When speeding down grades at 40+ mph, in a pace line or in heavy traffic, one doesn’t dare look over their shoulder or down at a handlebar mirror to check behind. I have used an eyeglass mounted “Take a Look” mirror for many years. It has a wire frame (no plastic) and will, also, mount on a helmet.  Plastic-framed mirrors eventually break.

7. I used a 70oz Camelbak Rogue the entire trip – for Gatorade and cold weather gear storage. If there was the slightest possibility of cold rain and/or wind, I carried my warmers, balaclava, windbreaker, etc. During the first part of the tour, in the New Mexico high desert, one group of us was caught in a rain/hail/snow squall and nearly froze to death. We ended up sagging to a lower/warmer elevation while warming up. I was never caught without my cold weather gear again, which saved me from sagging at other times.

8. I used my water bottles for clear water – for soaking my Headsweat and neck scarf in the desert and for washing my hands when needed. After the desert, I carried only one water bottle – using the other water bottle cage to Zip-Tie a spare tire in.

9. My water resistant windbreaker was just large enough to fit over the top of my Camelbak rather than under it. Consequently, my back ventilated rather than sweated as it would have with the windbreaker plastered to my back by the Camelbak.

10. One or two pair of high quality cycling shorts. I had the Assos FI Mille shorts (~ $150) with a terrific pad. Some riders had low quality shorts and were wearing two pair to get enough padding. I had two pair along but only used one pair as I washed them every evening in my motel room.

11. One or two cycling shirts. Just the CrossRoads shirt would be enough, as it can be washed nightly. However, one might want one of his favorite cycling shirts along.

12. Arm and leg warmers – Gore-Tex warmers felt good in colder conditions.

13. Headsweat, possibly a cap type so that the bill can be turned down to use as a sun visor. A Headsweat and neck scarf are nice in the desert as one can keep them soaked with water and get a very nice evaporative cooling effect.

14. Rain cover for helmet.

15. I had a Wind-Bloc balaclava that came in handy to keep my entire head warm in some 40-degree temps – occasionally with rain. I also had a pair of behind-the-head earmuffs. I found that if my head and upper body were toasty warm, that my lower body and sandaled feet were fine.

16. Long-fingered cycling gloves can feel mighty nice during a cold rain/sleet/snow squall and nippy mornings.

17. I had two changes of quick-dry casual clothes along but I would only take one change again. The trousers would have the zip-off legs. Two pair of quick-dry underwear completed my casual clothes. I used my windbreaker for a casual jacket. If something warmer is needed, the leg/arm warmers can be worn under the trousers and windbreaker for casual use.

18. I started with a pair of casual shoes for evenings but sent them home, which saved space and weight in my bags. The Shimano sandals were comfortable for casual use. I would do it again.

19. I prewashed my cycling clothes while showering each evening. I then washed them in a wastebasket with detergent provided by CrossRoads. I rung them out rolled them in towels to get rid of the excess water and then clothes-pinned them to the curtains above the A/C vent.  They would be dry by morning. Many times I would hang them outside on a chair or railing if outside drying conditions were good. A hot sun and breeze would dry them within an hour.

20. A surgeon on our tour recommended using Desitin Diaper Rash Ointment instead of Chamois Butter. Chamois Butter is water-based and needs to be reapplied several times a day. Desitin will last all day. While using Chamois Butter, I had saddle sores on the verge of erupting into nasty sores. After switching to Desitin, the sores cleared up within a couple of days and I had no more problems with my bottom end.

21. I used Nutrogena SPF 85 Sunblock. My arms and legs were still relatively white at the end of the tour.

22. Use lip balm several times a day and stay hydrated as the dry Western heat dehydrates the body more than one realizes. Most of us had very cracked/sore lips by the time we had finished the desert.

23. The CrossRoads staff taught me how to use energy gels. I learned to use one every 25 minutes or so during the last 25 miles of the day and would finish strong. They are also useful when one knows of a steep climb coming up within a few minutes.

24. I carried a two-pound netbook computer (9 inch screen) in my luggage. The cables and chargers for your computer, camera, and cellphone will probably weigh more than the computer. Wireless signals were available at most motels. A few were marginal enough to be useless. Wi-Fi service is improving each year.

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25. I used a Terry "Ti-Fly" saddle on the bike and adjusted it so that the rear portion was level. That left the nose tilted slightly up. By having the rear of the seat level, I did not tend to slide forward to the narrower middle low point and, therefore, did not have trouble with numbness.

Charts of XC Tour Statistics

This week, I gave a PowerPoint presentation on my XC tour to the local Lions club. I worked up these charts for PowerPoint so thought I'd post them in my blog.

Left-click on the charts to enlarge them.

This first chart shows the accumulated miles and the accumulated feet climbed as the tour progressed.


This chart shows the daily distances and the daily feet climbed ranked from largest to smallest with the largest in each case being "1".


This chart shows the daily distances sorted by their ranking from largest to smallest.



This chart shows the daily feet climbed sorted by their ranking from largest to smallest.




This last chart shows the daily distances that I actually rode compared to the published tour distances.

I did not ride the entire distance on three days due to a rain/sleet/snow storm that some of us got caught in and also due to the food poisoning which took many of us off the road for two days. Those particular days are indicated on the chart.

My bike computer does not always agree with the Tour's published values on the days that I rode the entire distance. Wrong turns, bridge-out detours, etc. account for some differences. The tour company used automobile odometers for the published values. My bike computer was calibrated to the nearest 0.01 of a mile.

July 2 - Motivation - Food for Thought

In thinking back over the last seven weeks and the several months of training before that, I am remembering motivational quotes that have applied to this XC endeavor.

First, are two quotes that Tracy, our tour leader, related to us - both at the beginning and again at the end of the tour. They are:

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt


Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. - Calvin Coolidge



Then there was the monument inscription along our route in Lock Springs, MO:

Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.


Following are other quotes that I have accumulated over the years:


Nothing happens unless first a dream. - Carl Sandburg


We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing. - George Bernard Shaw

Fitness is a journey - not a destination. - Author unknown


When on two wheels, the journey is the adventure. - Author unknown


Suffering builds character. - Author unknown


Judge life not by the number of breaths you take but by the number of times that your breath is taken away. - Author unknown


Activity adds life to your years and years to your life. - Brian J. Sharkey



Most serious cyclists will agree with this quote:


A bad day on a bike is better than a good day doing about anything else. - Author unknown



I'm not sure about a headwind being a "friend", but maybe this quote is true to a degree:


The wind is your friend... It is your training partner when it is in front of you making you stronger and when it is at your back it gives you much needed rest. - Author unknown


More quotes:

If it's not a challenge, you're not working hard enough. - Herbie Hancock


Bye for now,

Bob

July 1 - Reflections - The Hardest Part of the Tour

I'm still trying to comprehend riding across the U.S. I don't think it has hit home yet. I'm still thinking in terms of individual days of the tour - one day at a time as we found we had to do during the tour. Thinking of more than one day at a time was and still is overwhelming.

This morning, my bike shop guy, Craig Cooper, at Bikes to You in Grinnell, asked me what was the hardest part of the trip and I couldn't answer him. Thinking about his question since, I think I can now answer it. I think that the hardest part of the tour for me was dealing with the wind. There were days, in the West, when we would have horrendous head and cross winds. Gusty head and cross winds were even much worse. The straight head winds were easier to deal with than the cross winds. With constant head winds, one just selects a lower gear and grinds away - although with great difficulty. However, the gusty cross winds were unpredictable. We never knew when the next gust was coming so we were continually tensed up - ready to counteract it. If we over or under counteracted, the bike would lurch one way or the other. Occasionally, we would have to walk the bike through an extremely gusty area. Near Palm Springs, (where the wind turbines are located along Interstate 10) gusty cross winds actually blew riders off the road. One rider reported getting off his bike and the wind blew the bike out horizontally as the rider hung on to the handlebars and saddle. Another rider was twirled around and deposited, leaning upright against a shrub, headed in the opposite direction. She never did fall over during the ordeal. Another rider and bike were thrown over his wife's bike - injuring them both. They went to the hospital and dropped out of the tour. At one point we had the wind at our backs while riding down the freeway and were doing 40 mph while barely pedaling. We later learned that there were 80 mph gusts in the Palm Springs area that day. While in the West, we seemed to have head and/or cross winds day after day. It was hard to start each morning knowing one was going to have another day of wind to ride against. We were fortunate in the East in that we had day after day of light to moderate tail winds - and they held out until the end of the tour - for which we were very elated.  The "rule of thumb" is generally that prevailing winds blow from west to east but we found that isn't necessarily so.

One can dress for cold temperatures and rain, but he is at the mercy of the wind. Thunderstorms with lighting and hail are another dangerous situation. I rode in downpours but managed to be finished for the day before being caught out in lighting storms. Some riders were not so lucky and chose to be sagged in.

Hope that answers your question, Craig.

Incidentally, my bike made it all of the way across the country without a single repair or adjustment. I had replaced the bottom bracket bearing, cassette (rear sprockets), cassette carrier, chain, all cables, and had repacked all bearings with Phil Wood waterproof grease before leaving for the tour. I then had Craig at Bikes to You go over the bike which included fine-tuning the shifters and truing the wheels. Craig also helped me pack the bike for shipping - actually, he did most of it.

I, also, finished the ride with the tires that I started with - Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700 X 25's. They still have some miles left on them. I had two flats from the shredded tire wire along the Interstates out west - one of the lowest flat-tire counts. The highest reported flat tires was 17. It is very discouraging to have several flats in one day.  The Schwalbe Marathon tires were very heavy and were difficult to take off and put on the rim.  I'm still undecided if I would use them if doing the tour again - maybe a compromise.


Bye for now,
Bob

Day 50 - Saturday, June 28 - Boston, MA, to Grinnell, IA - 1250 miles by airplane

I shared a taxi with three other people to Boston Logan Airport. We drove through the "Big Dig" tunnel - an extensive freeway system under downtown Boston. It, greatly, relieved the congestion on the above ground streets and made it much faster to pass through the city - especially much faster to reach the airport. The Big Dig was in the news in recent years because of construction disasters and extravagant cost overruns.


I had a connecting flight in Milwaukee, WI, so the route out of Boston took my flight on a path over Syracuse, NY, where we had stayed six nights ago and also where my sister, Janet, lives. As I watched our progress over the terrain, I tried to visualize riding the distance on a bicycle. I'm not able, yet, to comprehend what we have done the last seven weeks. During the tour, one would hear rider after rider saying that they couldn't think of doing the overall trip as it seemed unattainable. We found that we had to only think of one day at a time. Each day, after riding a distance to the next overnight, most of us could not name the town that we had stayed in the night before. We were only focused on the day's destination. One day I was riding alone and a highway patrolman stopped to ask if I was lost. He asked where I was coming from and where I was going. I had to look at our route sheet to remind me. While riding, we get so lost in our thoughts that we lose track of everything else. We just make the turns called for on our route sheets and that gets us to our destination.

A typical "route sheet" that we used for our daily guidance. Left-click on the sheet for a larger view. We folded them in quarters and attached them to our handlebars - usually in a waterproof see-through pouch.

The Milwaukee, WI, airport.

Thanks for reading my blog during the tour and I have really appreciated your encouraging comments.

Bob

Day 49 - Friday, June 27 - Burlington, MA, to Boston, MA - 18 miles - 700 climbing feet

We had a beautiful 18 mile ride from Burlington, MA, to Revere Beach in Boston, MA, this morning. The temperature was very comfortable, around 70F, and the sky was clear. We did encounter the typical Massachusetts roads - mostly no bike-lane shoulders, lots of traffic, and lots of rough surfaces with holes. Our procession sounded like Santa Claus on his route as we called out "hole" (ho ho ho) dozens of times to warn the following riders of holes in the road.

We are preparing to leave the motel at our normal starting time of 7am. Although we are going to ride only 18 miles, our starting procedure was unchanged except for not loading our bags - as we will return to this same motel for our last night. The photo is of Warren (TX) and myself.

Damien (Ireland) and myself.



Our final pep talk from Tracy, our tour leader, before signing out for our last day's ride.



Signing out for the last time.


We rode on our own for 13 miles to this parking lot where we regrouped for the last 5 miles to the beach.

Some photos were taken while we waited to regroup. Here are most of the women on the tour.

Most of the men. A few riders took wrong turns on the way to the regrouping area and had not arrived. I am fourth from the left in the second row.


Police escort to Revere Beach.


Arriving at Revere Beach.

Regrouping at the end of the ride to Revere Beach.

I am dipping my front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean, completing my journey across the U.S.

Alex dipping the wheel of his and his dad's (Achim) recumbent-tandem bicycle. Alex and Achim are from Germany and peddled their 60 lb bike every inch of the way. They went extremely slow up hills but went very fast down hills and on the flats. They generally finished each day's ride ahead of most of us.

Damien (Ireland) and Warren (TX) dipping their wheels. Damien and Warren rode together most days.

Damien with his bike on the beach.

Damien (Ireland), Randy (CA), and myself on the beach. Randy and I rode together on most days of the tour.

Our entire group at Revere Beach in Boston. Thirty-five riders arrived at the Atlantic Ocean. Some riders only rode part of the route as some take two or more years to complete the entire tour. Laura (CA), the woman in jeans in the front row, did only the first two weeks of the tour but came out to Boston to join the ending celebration. She plans to complete the entire route in future years. I am first on the right of the front row.

After the festivities at the beach, we all were hauled back the 18 miles to our motel in Burlington, as by late morning the Boston traffic was quite heavy. Since we had completed our journey, there was no need to take any more last minute risks in the traffic.

Our completed journey. This map was displayed in the hotel lobbies each day.

Back at the motel in Burlington, we began the tasks of washing our bikes and packing them for shipping home. Some would take them in personal vehicles, others by plane, but most would ship them by UPS or FedEx. The other Bob, Boston Bob, lives only 4 minutes by bike from the motel so will ride his home. Here Rich (IL) is packing his bike.

Mike (England) packing his bike.

Clark, one of the CrossRoads staff, packing a bike. Riders could have their bikes packed by CrossRoads for a fee - which many did. I boxed my own bike and it should arrive home by UPS later next week.

Friday evening we had our final banquet during which our completion certificates were presented. Riders said their final goodbyes to each other. We became a family after spending seven weeks together sharing the hardships and joys of struggling across the varied terrain of the U.S. We have made many friends and will stay in touch for many years.

Most riders and their guests will spend this last night in the motel and then leave at various times over the weekend. I will be flying out of Boston late tomorrow morning.

Bye for now and thanks for the comments,

Bob

Day 48 - Thursday, June 26 - Brattleborro, VT, to Burlington, MA - 87 miles - 5600 climbing feet

Our 87 mile ride to Burlington, MA, involved almost as much climbing as yesterday. However, today's climbing was much different. Yesterday, we had a few long climbs - up to 7 miles at a time. Today we had many shorter, steeper, rolling hills.

We rode in a light rain much of the morning and several chose to ride in the sag van - at least until it quit raining. Up until today, most riders had agreed that Ohio had the worst roads - lots of holes, rough areas, and poor shoulders. Today, we tended to agree that maybe Massachusetts had the worst roads. The roads were rough with lots of holes to dodge, mostly no shoulders on which to ride, heavy traffic, and the drivers were very rude. Miraculously, all riders arrived at the motel without accidents although several riders spoke of very close calls.

Preparing for the day's ride - waiting to load luggage in the truck and sign out.

Our first state line of the day - New Hampshire.

A New Hampshire license plate.

We passed through this covered bridge on today's ride.


A bicycle repair shop if needed - maybe two centuries ago, though.

Most of our route, today, was along tree-lined roads. However we were unable to enjoy the scenery as much as we would have liked because of the rain and rough shoulders. We had to keep our eyes on the road. This shoulder is one of the better on today's route.

Our second state line today - Massachusetts. Two state lines in one day by bicycle!

After our evening group meal, our tour leader, Tracy, instilled in us the magnitude of the journey that we had just accomplished and how it would affect our personal and professional goals for the rest of our lives - namely in persistence in pursuing them. Obstacles would not seem so impossible and goals not so unattainable. Each rider then tried to relate what the tour had meant to himself although many admitted that they were not, yet, able to comprehend what they had accomplished. There were some very eloquent speeches.

In the above photo, six riders were presented "Top Dog" t-shirts for having ridden "every fantiastic inch" (EFI) of the tour. As I related in earlier posts (Days 18 & 19) , about one-third of the riders, including myself, were stricken with food poisoning which took us off the road for at least a couple of days. The food poisoning related to the national tomato salmonella fiasco. Other riders also missed days of riding for various reasons. The six riders riding every inch were Janie (NJ); father & son, Achim and Alex (Germany) on a tandem bicycle; Damien (Ireland); Don (NY); and Daryl (UT). Daryl was not present to receive his award.

This photo shows a group of riders singing a song to the tune of "She'll be coming around the Mountain" with a somewhat humorous verse for each state. The skit was organized by Linda (MI).

Don (NY) sang a-capella solo of verses that he had written to the Porgy and Bess tune, "Summertime".

The evening was very joyous as riders reminisced about the last seven weeks. Rider guests were present as family and friends were beginning to arrive to greet the riders at the end of their journey.

Tomorrow, will be an 18 mile ceremonial ride to Revere Beech in Boston with only 700 feet of climbing!

Bye for now and thanks for the comments,
Bob

Day 47 - Wed, June 25 - Albany, NY, to Brattleboro, VT - 76 miles - 6100 feet climbing

Today's ride from Albany, NY, to Brattleboro, VT, was another great day of riding. The day was mostly sunny with temperatures in the high 70's, a little warm on the climbs but still quite comfortable.

A roadside deli on today's route.


Thirty miles out of Albany, we crossed into Vermont.


A Vermont license plate. I take the license plate photos in our motel parking lots. One of these days someone is going to catch me taking a picture of "their" license plate and want to know what is going on.


The Col. Seth Warner monument in Bennington, VT.


Left-click the photo to read the inscription on the monument.


There were many life-sized sculptures along the streets of Bennington. This one was labeled "Weekend Painter".


The inscription below the sculpture.


We crossed the Appalachian Trail on a 7 mile climb out of Benningtion. The AT stands for Appalachian Trail and the LT stands for Long Trail.


Bill, from Kansas, who has hiked the full length of the Appalachian Trail and many other major trails.


I would imagine that this motel is named after Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods". The book is a humerous account of Bill and a friend hiking the Appalachian Trail.
This looks like fun. I reached 43.5 mph on this downgrade. There were other reports of a 47 mph and of Achim and Alex (Germany) reaching 53 mph on their heavy recumbent-tandem.


A clean bubbling brook.


And a sky-blue lake.


Don Berens (Albany, NY) greeting his Vermont "Uncle George" and wife on top of Hogback Mt.
A restaurant on top of Hogback Mt.


Randy (CA) topping one of our climbs today.


George (England) getting some sun at the end of the day. Sorry, George, for the perspective on the fountain (left-click the photo). Hope that your hair is not getting wet!

Tomorrow will be our last full day of riding with our 87 mile journey from Brattleboro, VT, to Burlington, MA. Burlington is just outside of Boston. Tomorrow's ride will also involve a lot of climbing and will be a long day.

I might add that 40 years ago this year (1968), I rode a bicycle from Ft. Devens, MA, to Brattleboro, VT, to visit my brother, John, who was attending a Spanish language school for a few weeks before spending a year as an International Farm Youth Exchange worker in Nicaragua. I was stationed at Ft. Devens during my Army training.

By for now and thanks for the comments,

Bob